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So after a long time of hand-wringing I decided to go a beachy, streaky blonde. If I go dark, then I will just want to go blonde after 2 months, but that is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

If I go blonde I can always go dark WAY easier.

I’m in the middle of the process right now, which is QUITE the adventure, let me tell you, so I will update you when I finally achieve the colour I want. It’s currently a lovely lemon-yellow-orange colour. STAY TUNED!

I use this super conditioning mask whenever I feel my hair is getting too fried. I prefer to apply only to the bottom half of my hair so my roots don’t get greasy, but you can do all over the head if you want! The amount you will be combining will depend on the length and thickness of your hair, but don’t be afraid of saturating your hair. And it’s okay if your oil isn’t “virgin” or “refined” or anything like that, it will all work the same on your hair! Just make sure to wash out thoroughly. You can even use a bit of vinegar to help with that, or shampoo 2-3 times.

I started wearing red lipstick when I dyed my hair black last year and pink lipstick looked too slutty on me.

See? Trashy vs. Classy! (NB: if trashy is you’re thing, more power to you! That’s a look in itself.)

A red lip must be worn with a purpose. You’re communicating to the world that you are responsible enough to care and maintaint this perfect, red pout and are therefore confident, classy, put together and a paragon of virture. Yes, that is the power of a red lip. This is because the red lip is as high maintenence as fuck. You can’t just slap it on sans mirror at 7pm and expect it to look the same or okaish at midnight. No, No, No. Like everything else French, the red lip must be cultivated with care. The application must be precise and the re-application timely. Red is so pigmented the colour will never disappear, but it will look patchy and faded. You must have the discipline to stay away from most food and drink (maybz that’s why the French are so skinny?).

My all-time favourite red lipstick is MAC’s Ruby Woo . It’s a classic shade that looks good with EVERYONE and has amazing staying power. It’s completely matte. I’ve tried drugstore one’s from Revlon and they slide off my lip way faster. I always use it with with MAC Cherry lipliner. Lipliner is a must for a red lip or else it will bleed all over your face and people will be concerned you’re bleeding from your mouth.

Where its appropriate to wear a red lip:

Strolling down the streets of Paris

In a bio-pic of a 1940s film star

A black-tie event/grown-ass party

When you’re not wearing any makeup

When you’re DELIBERATELY wearing a shit-ton of eye makeup

After a breakup. A great alternative to bangs!

Where it is inappropriate to wear a red lip:

A date. A red lip can be a man-repeller. They just don’t get it! Also, if you end up making out, you don’t want to get it all over his collar and face now, do you?

When trying to seduce a man. In that case, a pale pink glossy lip will always win.

8 a.m class

A job interview, uness you’re a makeup artist or a clown.

When you’re binge eating. Pointless.

Out at ‘da club. All that drinking and screaming will make it shmear all over your face.

This scares me. I got two cystic bumps on my right cheek, which is exactly where I used to get my worst acne. I also got a few small pimples on my chin area that went away pretty fast.

So because I am terrified of my acne coming back I have started using Aczone on my right jaw area every night. Aczone is pretty gentle and non-irritating and I decided to just use that product exclusively so I can judge if it works. if it doesn’t work I will go back to a harsher Tactuo/Epuido or Retin-A topical or something. I also use Benzoyl Peroxide on those small pimples as a spot treatment. This really bothers me because half the reason I was on Accutane was so I could stop using topicals and trying to figure out which topicals worked!

Besides that small area, my skin is great! All my blackheads, white heads, and random shit that I didn’t even care about because I was too focused on my cystic cheek acne, are heavily reduced.

I had a facial the other day*****, because apparently my acne is stubborn bitch and after that initial break out I wanted to just clean out my pores, and let me tell you, the facialist extracted nothing close to what she usually did before Accutane. So many less blackheads, gunk etc came out. It was so quick!

She actually said-sorry this is gross- that she purged my skin of a lot of oil. Like she would squeeze a pore and clear oil would come out? Wtf?

I actually don’t even think I have super oily skin, but she says my skin is both “oily and dehydrated”. Literally no clue what that means. Do I need more moisture or less? No one has been able to answer that coherently. I have stopped using Emu Oil and other heavy moisturizers since I went off Accutane, since my skin isn’t that dry anymore.

All the side-effects from the Accutane are gone, including dry lips, and I am going to go for my first wax tomorrow, I’ll let you know if it rips my skin off ;). Hope not!

I’m going to see if I breakout any further, and if so, I might go back on Accutane. Note that I had a very low dosage (40 mg/day) and length of time I was on it (only 3 months), so your experience might be different.

***** Sidenote: I highly recommend facials if you have acne because extracting blemishes yourself is a terrible idea, and they just get stuff out you cant even really see.However, the only facials I like are Dermalogica ones. They are the only ones that don’t make break out. All other facials, even by fancy and well-known facialists make me red and bumpy and I end up purging a few days later. I don’t recommend those at all. (For any Torontonians, I go to The 10 Spot and get either the full facial or the quickie facial, which is a great way to get extractions for a cheaper price, $45.)

I’m having an epic issue right now with my hair. I’m so indecisive and bored, I can’t decide whether to go a warm, honey blonde, or a warm, dark brown. “What to do, what to do,” she wrote in her diary.

This past year and a half have been hair-crazy. If one didn’t know better one would think that I was projecting a quarter-life crisis onto my hair.

I went from my natural, medium ashy brown, to blonde, to black, with every brunette shade in between.

Right now, I’m a faded out medium chocolate brown. a.k.a, boring.

I want to be either “that blonde over there”, or “that brunette over there”.

So please don’t tell me to add some face-framing highlights or ombre or stay the colour I am now (yes I know it is fine, but I want…more).

For a great explanation of why I don’t want some wishy washy medium colour, read Michelle Villet’s post on what medium colours are boring and annoying as shit (who knew others had such strong opinions about this stuff!).

Problem is, I’m not sure which one I want it to be.

So I have made a handy pro/con list for each decision, since there ‘aint no decision like an informed and well-thought out decision.

Brunette Pro:

Easy to maintain

Cheaper

Works better with my skin tone???? (does it? let me know!)

Will look more “exotic” (can’t decide if this is a pro/con?)

Brunette Con:

Boring, seems like everyone’s a brunette, at least where I live

Will I just want to go blonde later?

I will look even more “Mediterranean” than I already apparently do. Would not be a problem if I actually was Italian, Spanish, Greek or Portuguese, but I’m not and no man at a bar seems to believe me.

Blonde Pro

Different

Fun

Not a big deal to go back dark

Blonde Con

So high maintenance

Expensive

Will never look like my ‘natural’ colour

Might damage my hair

Roots post-10 days irritate me

In short, brunette is always going to be easier for me, but…easier isn’t always better, or what I want. (If you knew my taste in men this would be abundantly clear).

Also, I thought it might be interesting to note that the two hair consultations I had senior stylists at top salons, both said I was forbidden to dye my hair again until at least Christmas, but ideally Feburary because I needed to give it a break. Stylist #1 said that because of my “sallow” complexion, blonde would always make me look green and bad. Stylist #2 said I would look great in a warm, honey blonde.